HAMPTON'S JEROME MATHIS SHINES IN GRIDIRON CLASSIC

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

Hampton University wide receiver/kick returner Jerome Mathis, the self proclaimed fastest man in college football, used his speed and an assortment of moves to put on an outstanding display for NFL scouts at The Villages Gridiron Classic. One of just 10 non I-A players to participate in the game, Mathis scored on a 26-yard reception and a 38-yard run off of a reverse for the North which lost 24-21 to a South squad coached by Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer. Mathis had 108 yards of total offense on two catches for 59 yards and two carries for 49 yards, in addition to a 35-yard kickoff return.

“Every time I step on the big stage, I get even better,” added Mathis a Walter Camp Football Foundation and Sports Network I-AA All-American as a return specialist.

Arguably the most explosive player in I-AA, Mathis led the country with an average of 35.5 yards per return and set an I-AA record with five kickoff returns for touchdowns. The senior wide receiver, who is also the two-time NCAA East Regional champion in the 200-meter dash, returned kickoffs of 91, 99, 92, 80 and 93 yards respectively, the last coming during Hampton’s first round playoff game against William & Mary where he accounted for a school record 394 all-purpose yards.

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

He repped HU and HBCU's well. Hope he make the league, which I know he will.

[Roll Tide Roll]

Kingsville--Catawba's Justin Samples hit Tuskegee's Harry Williams with a 30-yard touchdown strike with 5:50 left in the game to lead the East squad to an 18-15 come-from-behind win in the sixth annual Cactus Bowl Friday night at Javelina Stadium.

Samples, who was named the games Offensive MVP, hit on 14-of-23 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. His 192 yards passing tied the Cactus Bowl record set last season by Will Hall. Williams finished the game with 63 yards receiving on five catches. Grand Valley State's Keyonta Marshall was named the Defensive MVP as he harrassed West quarterbacks all night, picking up seven tackles, including two for loss. Michigan Tech's Joe Berger earned the Jim Langer Award as the top offensive lineman in the game.

The East team took the early lead, driving 45 yards in 10 plays with the games opening kickoff. Carson-Newman quarterback Shane Kelly passed for 28 yards on the drive, which culminated in a 22-yard Williams Rhody field goal. The East increased it's advantage in the second quarter. Samples hit Timothy Pope of Presbyterian with a Cactus Bowl record 50-yard pass to put the East on the West 15-yard line. Two plays later Samples threw a fade pass to Mars Hill College's Roderick DeWalt that DeWalt made a spectacular leaping catch in the end zone to give the East a 10-0 lead.

The West finally got on the board in the second quarter when the East team snapped the ball out of the end zone on an attempted punt for a safety. After a missed field goal on their ensuing possession the West kept the momentum of the safety by driving 74 yards in six plays led by Pittsburg State's Neil Philpot. Philpot only completed one pass on the drive, but it was a big one, a 38-yard strike to Humboldt State's Dustin Creager, to cut the East advantage to just one at 10-9.That was where the score stood at the half.

The West team continued its strong play behind Philpot on the first drive of the second half, taking the ball 49 yards in nine plays, culminating with a one-yard Ray Gates (Tarleton State) plunge on fourth down. The score gave the West it's first lead at 15-10, which is where the score would stay until Samples' hookup with Williams.

Philpot had a solid performance for the West squad, hitting on 5-of-10 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 69 yards on 16 carries. Creager led the way in receiving, making four catches for 60 yards. DeMarcus Mathes of Missouri Southern had two catches for 50 yards. For the East squad Pope had six catches for 101 yards. DeWalt finished with 50 yards on three catches.

With the win the East cut the West's advantage in the all-time series of the Division II All-Star Games (the game was called the Snow Bowl when it was played in Fargo, N.D. for six years) to just 7-4-1. The East has won three of the last four games.




Tuskegee University, Alabama – (December 29, 2004) - Three Golden Tiger football players will participate in post-season all-star games in January 2005.


Jordan Brumbaugh has accepted invitations to play in the inaugural HBCU All-Star Football Classic, The Villages Gridiron Classic and the Las Vegas All-American Classic. Harry Williams will play in the 2005 Cactus Bowl and Travis Gumbs will join Brumbaugh in the HBCU All-Star Football Classic.




Brumbaugh, a 6-4, 262-pound defensive end from Keystone Heights, Fla., led the SIAC in quarterback sacks with 15.5 for 101 yards in losses. The first-team All-SIAC defensive lineman recorded 52 tackles, had 20.5 tackles for 122 yards in losses and returned a fumble 32 yards for a touchdown.




He broke the school record for most QB sacks in a single-season (15.5) and ranked fourth in QB sacks and seventeenth in tackles for loss in NCAA II national stats in 2004. College Football Report.com, D2football.com and Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN) named him to their 2004 All-American teams.





Brumbaugh is rated as a pro-prospect by robscouting.com as the #2 defensive end from small schools, #13 by gbnreport.com among all defensive ends and 19th in the country among defensive ends by NFLdraftblitz.com.





Gumbs, the top punter and place-kicker in the SIAC, was a first-team All-SIAC selection. He punted 39 times for 1,691 yards for an average of 43.4. He converted 44-of-46 PATs and made 16-of-22 field goals.




The Flint, Mich., native was the team’s starting punter and place-kicker for four consecutive years (2001-2004). He holds the school’s record for most consecutive PATs converted (53), most PATs in a single-season (46), most field goals kicked in a single-season (16) and the most points scored in a career (270).





The HBCU All-Star Football Classic will be played at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans, La., Monday, Jan. 17, 2005. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.



In addition to his HBCU All-Star Football Classic appearance, Brumbaugh will display his talent at The Villages Gridiron Classic College All-Star Game and the Las Vegas All-American Classic.




The Villages Gridiron will be played at The Villages Polo Stadium, in The Villages, Fla., on Sat., Jan. 15, 2005. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. (EST) for the ESPN2 televised contest. Coaches Jim Tressel of Ohio State and Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech have been named head coaches for The Villages Gridiron Classic College All-Star Game.





The Las Vegas All-American Classic will be staged at Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, N.V., Jan. 22, 2005.





Williams, a 6-3, 184-pound All-SIAC wide receiver from Birmingham, Ala., is scheduled to lineup with the East Squad in the Cactus Bowl All-Star Football Classic, Fri., Jan. 7, 2005 at Jevelina Stadium, Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The game features senior NCAA II all-stars. Kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m., and Fox Southwest will televise the contest.




He had 43 receptions for 678 yards and three touchdowns and returned seven kickoffs for 134 yards in 2004.

The game, formerly known as the Snow Bowl when it was played in Fargo, N.D., is in its 11th year of existence

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

^Um, with all do respect, what does this have to do with my post?

[Roll Tide Roll]

represenatation of HBCU's mam....obviously

I just wanted to make it known that HAMPTON WASENT the only one playing in the game..which it seemed like it. ^.^

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

^Why do you feel you have to justify and prove everything?

[NECKBONE]

if i may say, i dont think he is trying to prove or justify anything, i think he is tryin to show that their are others(like Kevin Talley linebacker for The Norfolk State University), that are out there doing it big for the HBCUs. and it seemed a little bit like you was sayin that ur boy was the only one out there reppin.